The clinical effects of combining acupuncture and physical therapy with drugs in treating children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Objective To evaluate the therapeutic effects of combining acupuncture and physical therapy with drugs on treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Methods Sixty infants with DMD were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group (n=30 in each). Both groups were injected with Bozhi glycopeptide and given levocamitine and fructose sodium diphosphate orally. Moreover, the treatment group was additionally given acupuncture and physical therapy. Before and after 90 days of treatment, the time to walk 10 metres and to climb stairs of 2 metres high was measured, as were the serum creatine phosphate kinase (CPK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and aspertate aminotransferase (AST) levels of all participants. Results After treatment, the average walking and stair climbing times of both groups were significantly shorter, and those of the treatment group were significantly shorter than those of the control group. Moreover, the average CPK, LDH and AST levels in the treatment group were significantly lower than before treatment and than those of the control group after treatment. There was a significant difference in the overall response rates, with 93% observed in the treatment group and 73% in the control group. Conclusion Combining acupuncture and physical therapy with drugs can significantly increase the mobility and improve the serum CPK, LDH and AST levels of children with DMD. Key words: Acupuncture; Far infrared irradiation; Medication; Duchenne muscular dystrophy